Sunday, July 13, 2014

(Seventh Fire) Although these rootsy, bouncy ballads are thoroughly
modern there is a lot of 60s LA production going on here rather then
cut-and-dry contemporary Nashville knob twiddling. This is a fine frame for Payne’s voice,
which is is enchanting, a little gritty and I love her.

(StarVista/TimeLife/Rhino) Not owning, or knowing exactly the definition of, an “SACD”
system, I can’t say if the audio remastering on thiese collections of 70s and
80s AOR hits is exceptional (fortunately it is a “Hybrid SACD,” so I can play
it on my caveman-esque CD player). That said, who can argue with any comps
featuring the Zombies, the Pretenders, Brownsville Station, T. Rex, Deep
Purple, and the Troggs? That said, I can
argue with these CD titles. “Crank It Up,” one must assume, would include loud,
crank-able cuts, but even cranked up to 11.5 America, Jackson Browne, “Does
Anyone Really Know What Time It Is?,” and “Nights in White Satin” are still pretty
goddamn quiet. And one would have to assume that “Get It On” would feature some
get-the-van a-rockin’ boudoir sex jams, right? While I’m sure someone copulated
to to the Dead’s “Casey Jones” and “Go Your Own Way” at some point, I think
identifying overtly non-sex jams like “Spirit in the Sky” and sex comedy cuts
like “Lola” as functional baby making music is blatantly false advertising.

Well, I'm not that hard to find. In fact, I'm
surprised this doesn't happen more often.[pause]So anyways, what'd
you want to talk about?

For starters I guess, the "L.A.
Woman" DVD.

The what?

The Doors "Mr. Mojo Risin': The Story
of L.A. Woman" album documentary.

Oh! Okay,
sure.

You have
seen it, I assume?

Well, sure, I
get all these "new" Doors releases in the mail all the time. I have to so I can sign off on 'em and
they can get 'em out there …but that doesn't mean I have to watch them [laughs].

Well, this is a pretty good one. Starts off
with a little history of the band, goes through all the songs on the album
track-by-track, giving the background information, showing some stills and
whenever possible footage from the sessions, talking to many of the original
participants…

Oh yeah? Like
who?

Jac Holzman, Bill Siddons, Paul Rothchild…

Rothchild wasn't
with us for that album. He split pretty soon. Said he was bored. I know what he
means… so was I [laughs again].

Yeah, I guess.
If you can call it that. He called out the takes, turned on the tapes… yeah,
but I remember he did bring in Elvis
Presley's bass player to play with us.

Yes! Jerry Scheff. He mentions that in the
film. He talks about how excited you were to be working with him.

Are you
kidding? Of course I was! I mean,
this was ELVIS we're talking about !!

You really were a fan?

BIG fan, you
bet. Always was. Always will be. I still hang with him from time to time too [possibly sarcastic laughter].

I remember the very first book I ever read
about Elvis…

By Jerry
Hopkins?

Yes! That's it.

I suggested he
write that, you know.

So I heard. And he also wrote a book later
on you and The Doors, didn't he?

Yeah, and I
helped him with that one too.

What did you think about Oliver Stone's
Doors movie that was supposedly based on Jerry's book?

I thought we
had this other thing to talk about.

Oh. Okay.

One movie at a
time, okay? [almost laughs]

Let me throw some quotes at you from this
DVD then, alright?

Sure. Throw.

"They," meaning The Doors,
"were right up there with The Beatles and Dylan."

[silence]

uh, "The Doors are a living entity.
When I play them tonight, they will mean
something to my audience."

[deep, hearty,
prolonged laughter]Who said that ??

DJ Jim Ladd.

Jim Ladd!!

"I'm tellin' you that right now
there's a 16, 17, 18-year-old kid who's listening to The Doors for the first
time as a new band and is getting his
or her mind BLOWN."

What ??

Jim Ladd again.

[silence]

Talking about L.A. Woman, David Fricke from Rolling
Stone says, "If you're going to have an epitaph – if you're gonna have
one last record –then THAT was the
record to make."

[continuing
silence]

Howzabout calling L.A. Woman the Doors' "garage masterpiece"?

"Garage
masterpiece" ??

Yes. "Garage," like in a
"garage band."

[confused]Garage band? What's… Who was saying
this?

John Densmore.

John! They
talked to him?

Absolutely. And Ray and Robby too.

Robby! Last
time I saw him he looked like an underemployed executive caddy…

That is a great image, by the way!

Did you ever
see Robby on Married with Children?
Man, that was a great show. Why'd
they ever have to take that off?

Sure, I saw that one. Robby was on with
John Sebastian, Richie Havens…

…and Herman !!

Peter Noone, yes. Spencer Davis, and Mark
Lindsay.

[affectionately]yeahhhhh, Mark Lindsay. Now there was a GREAT singer. Damn, he was great. I always loved the
Raiders' stuff.

Really.

What did
Manzarek have to say? Pretty Zen as always?

Well, speaking of quotes, in the Bonus
Footage he says about the Doors' live shows – let me make sure I get this
exact; I wrote it down here – "That Dionysian session of worship of
Dionysus, the God of Ecstasy, the God of Madness, the ancient Greek God of
Madness and Intoxication and Freedom…"

Oh, Jesus…

There's also a great, almost spine-tingling
segment where Ray, sitting all alone at the Fender Rhodes, demonstrates that
wonderful "Riders On The Storm" –

You mean our
Vaughn Monroe song ??

– that descending E Dorian keyboard line
that's still so evocative of gentle,
but menacing rainfall. Absolutely beautiful…

[absolutely
deafening silence]

…anyways…

So what else
is on this "bonus footage"?

There's a section called "The Doors
Guide To L.A."

The what ??!

It's like a little travelogue around the
city showing all these different locations.

Like what?

Sunset Sound and the Elektra recording
studios, the old Doors Workshop – there's a gold plaque up on the building now…

Yeah, I've
seen that.

There's even this big green sign that says
"Jim Morrison Room" on the door to # 32 at the Alta Cienega Motel.

I haven't seen
that[laughter].

They show the Doors' Hollywood Walk of Fame
star –

That cost us a
lot of money, you know…

Then the Phone Booth strip club – it's L.A.
Premier Flowers now…

[appreciative,
ironic chuckle]

…Barney's Beanery, the Laurel Canyon
Country Store…

Did they fix
their sign yet?

Nope. Still says "grocerys"
instead of "groceries."

[laughter,
then some inaudible off-color comment about patchouli, it sounded like]

And of course, they show all the places
around town where you guys used to live.

[deep sigh]I'm really so damn glad I got out of L.A. when I finally
did. I really always was more of a Palm Springs kinda guy…

Enough about the travelogue then. There's
also a nice section elsewhere on the DVD of John demonstrating his Jo Jones
brush chops on the snare: "…you sorta just swish around – but you gotta have some technique…"

You tell 'em,
Johnny !!

Then he talks about the song "L.A.
Woman," and how he slowly increased the tempo on you guys – "like an
orgasm," he says…

[quite
affectionate laughter]

"The problem was," he says about
the song, "It was a seven-minute piece!"

John is our Seven-Minute Man !![more laughter]

There's another interesting little part
where Robby insists that "Love Her Madly" was, and again I'm quoting
here, "a little too
commercial." But Bruce Botnick says that he knew it was a hit right off
the bat. "I just knew it," he says. "We ALL knew it!"

Yeah, I'm sure
they did. They were always after
those kinda things.

And then they show "Love Her
Madly" right there at the top of the Billboard
Hot 100 alongside Ringo Starr, Donny Osmond, and Daddy Dewdrop!

Daddy Dewdrop
!!

Which reminds me Jim, if you wouldn't mind:
What are you listening to yourself these days?

Sunday, July 6, 2014

(Light in the Attic) GUEST REVIEW BY GENTLEMAN JOHN BATTLESRoky's 80s back-catalogue
has been reissued about as many times as movies not dealing with the actual
zombie legend have been released as "Zombie" pictures...but no
one is complaining. Even legitimate reissues had a limited run, so, it only
stands to reason, other, updated comps would turn up. This series compiles what
are considered the three most important Roky albums from that truly
horrific decade, on heavy vinyl, with heavy cardboard gatefold sleeves
(This stuff weighs a TON), the original artwork, extensive liner notes by Joe
Nick Patoski, outstanding photos, and, yes, damned good sound. Even if you own
the originals, great care went into remastering the three albums to LP, as well
as CD, so you can have your pick . I choose "The Vinyls,” as the hipster
kiddies say, but don’t let me sway you. It's all the same music (which Trouser Press aptly called "Little
Richard, if he'd finally turned his soul over to the Devil"). The only
drag part, here is that when I learned these albums would be pressed as double
LPs (or, in the case of "Gremlins Have Pictures,” one LP and one
7" EP) I immediately assumed each release would be piled high with
unreleased material. They aren’t. The bonus cuts appeared on the Ryko CDs
a few years back. Of course, there are MANY seldom-heard outtake and live cuts
from that era, but that's not to say Light in The Attic were unwise to pick up
the option of including said tracks. Far from it. But instead of music, two LP
sides contain etchings that R.K. Sloan
could have done in his sleep. That's my only complaint. I don't get it with
"Etched Vinyl.”. Sorry. It's like going to a restaurant and being expected
to find a decorative empty plate as interesting as what you ordered. Interestingly,
Erickson, an artist always regarded as mysterious and enigmatic (but is, in
reality, a sweetheart of a guy), has seen his first full length solo release go
by at least three names. I've always called the album, "Roky Erickson
and The Aliens," as it's the only English text that appeared on the cover
of my first (cassette) copy. But, it's
generally known as "Five Symbols" for the five runes that appear on
the remarkable sleeve art by Captain Colourz. It's also called
"T.E.O" (short for "The Evil One," the proposed title for
the CBS LP, and the official title for the US release on 415 Records out of San
Franscisco, which contained several tracks from the UK release, plus four
of Roky and The Aliens' most complex Demon Rockers, and the celebrated
"Bloody Hammer," which, no doubt, sounded right at home in the Punk
venues Roky frequently played at (I didn’t get to see Roky, personally, until
1993, but, I do remember seeing flyers for a Roky show and a Misfits gig in
1981 at The Hot Klub in Dallas, both made up of Famous Monsters magazine
collages. I was generally only allowed inside the place when my Brother's band played
there). Every song on "Five
Symbols" and "The Evil One" (and, they're all here) is a
mini-Horror/Sci-Fi Rock opera. As vivid as the classic "A" and
"B"-grade Monster movies our man had become obsessed with (though
he'd been a great fan long before joining The Spades and The Elevators). The
Aliens, led by electric autoharp player Bill
Miller (late of 70s Psych legends, Cold Sun) and Duane Aslaksen on lead guitar,
complement Roky's late night TV-damaged Rock ‘n’ Roll psychosis to the fullest.
Producer Stu Cook (Of CCR fame), surprisingly, "gets it," with Roky's
unique vision. He also plays some studio Bass occasionally, while
sometime drummer Fuzzy Furioso played in later versions of Moby Grape .
“Two Headed Dog" has since become Roky's calling
card, fusing discordant Psych with truly Heavy (as opposed to radio-friendly)
Metal. "Creature With The Atom Brain" and "Stand For The Fire
Demon" bring Roky's two favorite Horror films to 3-D, Technicolor life.
The former, inspired by the very first atomic zombie picture, is built around
depictions of scenes from the film, with plenty of original dialogue thrown in
for good measure. The latter is an atmospheric retelling of the classic
"Curse of The Demon" (originally released as "Night of The Demon,”
minus the piss-your-pants scary, giant demon, which that guy from Okkervil
River called "a silly rubber monster." You only need Roky's
collaborative effort with Okkervil River to complete your collection). "Sputnik"
is a reflection of Roky's fascination with Sci-Fi. He sings of a terrifying
trek through space, inner and outer. Unlike Hawkwind's celebrated space truckin'
around the stars, "Sputnik" is as horrific as the aforementioned classics,
and, there's monsters, besides. Any two songs from these sessons could have
been a killer single. Instead, you've got two killer LPs.

In 1984, when recording for "Don't Slander
Me" got underway, the core band of former Aliens, Bill Miller,
Duane Aslaksen and keyboardist, Andre Lewis (reportedly Cajun music
legend Andre Lewis,Sr.'s, son) was procured, supplemented by Jack Casady (Jefferson
Airplane, Hot Tuna, SVT) on bass, Paul Zahl (Flamin' Groovies, SVT), and
guest spots by Martin Fierro (Sir Douglas Quintet, Mother Earth, and even Blue
Cheer) and Jack Johnson (Flamin' Groovies). A somewhat more radio-friendly production
(for what that's worth, since you still had to SUCK to get on the radio) by
Aslaksen certainly didn’t hurt matters, nor did the stellar studio lineup,
saying nothing of Roky being in just about the finest voice of his career.
Still, It took two years to get "The Damned Thing" (Song title) out.
By 1986, however, the playing field had changed. Roky's cult following was
larger and more fervent than ever. Plus, with the advent of CD technology, fans
had their choice of LP, Cassette of Compact Disc...as they still did, a few
years later, when the album graced the cut-out bins. It didn’t help that Roky had
basically retired from performing, turning up onstage, sporadically, some say against
his will, once in 1987, and roughly a half-dozen times from 1993 to about
1995, until his full-blown comeback in 2005. Pink Dust, an untested, but,
exciting, new label, released the album in 1986, which deceptively innocent-looking
artwork. The label would also release the likes of Plasticland, The Fuzztones,
Plan 9, an already-overrated Flaming Lips, and a too little known (in The U.S) to
be overrated Billy Childish. Pink Dust would only survive a few years. Roky’s "Don't
Slander Me" was surely the brightest star in their crown. The title track,
though already about 10 years old when recorded, is easily Roky's best Punk
track since "You're Gonna Miss Me." But, most of the album is pretty
freakin' rockin', too. "Crazy, Crazy Mama" summons the spirit of
Little Richard at his peak, screamin' and beamin' and steamin, rockin' harder
and faster than any latter day Metal band, barring Motorhead, as Lemmy had
pledged his allegiance to Little Richard many years earlier. It is, quite simply,
the greatest song Slade never cut. "Haunt," while in reality, a
Robert Johnson-influenced Blues, gets the "Slurpee thrown at a TV
set" treatment, here. Little Richard guides the vox, and it's no
hoax. "Bermuda” hardly has the original beat, but, it's a fine version. Roky
displays much of his Buddy Holly roots with "You Drive Me Crazy,”
"Nothing in Return," and, of course, "Starry Eyes," of
which several official versions exist, though this is arguably the finest, or a
close second. The best Hard Rocker, here, would have to be the fuzz-drenched
"Can't Be Brought Down," which actually dates back to Roky's first
comeback attempt with The Elevators in 1973. Like several songs contained here,
it eludes to B- Movie Horror, but, really deals more with real-life horror. "Burn
The Flames,” very obviously, evokes the themes contained on the first album.
It's also featured on the soundtrack to "Return of The Living Dead.” There's
only three bonus tracks, all good 'uns.

"Gremlins Have Pictures" was the first
Erickson career-spanning compilation (barring, possibly, some similar bootlegs).
The earliest material dates back to 1975, with Blieb Alien, who recorded Roky's
first solo single, with longtime friend Doug Sahm. The three songs
included are more on a Dylan tip, with "Warning (Social and Political
Injustices)" being the standout. "Song To Abe Lincoln" is
another fine showcase for Roky's Folk-Rock tendencies, and should have been
used in the recent movie. It's mistakenly listed as being from 1979, not 1975.
The Aliens (Featuring Bill "Billy Angel" Miller from Blieb Alien) are
featured in the original version of "The Interpreter"(the
flipside of "Bermuda,” Roky's second single). It varies from the version
that originally appeared here, and while I agree with most of ex-Angry
Samoan and Rokyfreund Gregg Turner's, liner notes, this track is far from
Allmans-affected, just because there's dual guitar leads (played by the drummer?!).
Jack Johnson (not the one who's got about half a million dollars, but, the
one who played in one of the better, later versions of The Flamin'
Groovies) plays on three semi-acoustic numbers;
"Anthem (I Promise) ,” from 1976, which makes the jump from the sacred to
the profane, as does 1982's "I Have Always Been Here Before" (later
covered in a strong, hard-rockin' version by The Nomads, who'd go on to back
Roky, briefly, years later). Unlike the other two," I Am,” also from 1982,
makes no attempt to recognize good as well as evil. It is, quite simply, a love
song to Satan. Roky's eerie vocals are complemented to the fullest by
Johnson's haunted slide guitar. The recording was used to strong effect in
"Drugstore Cowboy." The Aliens also figure heavily on one of Roky's
finest songs never (to my knowledge) committed to the studio, 1977's
"Before In The Beginning." Not surprisingly, it too is dripping with
Biblical allegory, and what's gone terribly wrong with mankind. As Turner
points out, it's one of Bill Miller's finest moments on the Electric Autoharp. However,
a bootlegged version from around the same time , with Roky in hyperspeed murder-vocal
overdrive ("I'm gonna break every bone in your body, and I know just how
to say it to you...I told you I would see you die. Nothing, it, my God, God
almighty my God, oh God, my God...."), is clearly the better version of
the two. Dispensing with The Aliens, Roky took on power popmeisters, The
Explosives, featuring Cam King (later with Divine Horsemen) and Freddie
"Steady" Krc (Jerry Jeff Walker, T. Tex Edwards, Doug Sahm), as his
new backing band. Favorites like "Cold Night For Alligators" and “Night
of The Vampire,” from 1982 (?), are served up in a more skeletal, but just as
spooky, mode, as the then-more familiar Aliens' arrangements. And, as Gregg
Turner said, himself, we save the best for last. One night, at the Whisky-A-Go-Go,
Roky casually told the Explosives, "Boys, we're gonna do
"Heroin" tonight." Taking him at face value, the band freaks.
"I think it's in "G!,” and that night, Roky and The Explosives,
unrehearsed, put their own stamp on Lou Reed's signature song. "Yeah, I
sure like Lou Reed. I'm the only one who can hold him in my hand.".
Roky had been a Velvets fan for yoinks. It's possible, if not probable, that he
and other members of The Elevators were at the now-legendary VU Texas gigs
in '69, before Roky and Stacey Sutherland were incarcerated after being planted
with an easy morning's worth of dope for The Velvets. The bonus 7"
record (Playable at 33 RPM) includes the outstanding "I'm a
Demon" and "The Beast (recorded in 1975 with Doug Sahm sideman
John "Johnny X" Reed), plus an acoustic "Burn The Flames,” also
accompanied by John Reed, and a live "Bermuda,” with The Aliens. The idea
behind this collection was to compile the best sounding performances from Roky's earliest band projects and collaborations, barring, of course, 13th Floor
Elevators reunions (only the first, in 1973, spawned several live gigs,
while a one-off show in 1977 didn’t feature Roky at all, and the final two, in
1984, while featuring Roky in great form, are generally not considered
Elevators gigs). The Nervebreakers' gigs, backing Roky, at The Palladium in
Dallas in 1979, are nowhere to be found here, though New Rose continues to
repackage their one known full set, together (an advertised gig at Dallas' first
punk venue, DJ's, only got Roky to join The Nervebreakers for a few songs, the
band's former roadie told me).Byran S. Cooley, late of 27 Devils Joking, Lester
Bangs and/or The Delinquents, a Halloween gig (in '81?) with Roky and Al Lewis
(!!!), and, possibly, the very last Elevators' gig, would play in two of Roky's
last working bands for many years, The Resurrectionists (with Nervebreakers' drummer
Carl "Crusher" Giesecke) and Evil Hook Wildlife E.T. All of
those bands have since been long documented. The Explosives would reunite with
Roky in 2005 or 2006, and from there he'd go on to bands as disparate
as Okkervill River, The Black Angels (who recently headlined over Roky on
a cross country tour. Go figure), and at least one band just using the name
"Roky Erickson." Today, Roky's band, Hounds of Baskerville, is truly
a family affair, led by Roky's son Jegar, and featuring Jegar's lovely partner,
Kaylee, who will have given Roky and his first and present-day bride, Dana, a
beautiful grandson by the time you read this. A SON TO THE HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN! A SON!!!!

Saturday, July 5, 2014

(Wildflower/Cleopatra) Not surprisingly, Collins voice is a well-maintained,
completely mastered instrument, so putting her ethereal vocals in the context
of an Irish castle, singing a mix of traditional and folk Irish melodies (plus
a few hits) has the effect of hearing some kind of mystical faerie siryn seductively
guiding your ship towards the Blarney Stone. Surprisingly, “The Cat’s in the
Cradle” got the biggest castle-crowd reaction, dwarfing even “Danny Boy.” And
pleasantly surprising are a guest turn from Mary Black and some supplemental
percussion form an Irish step dancer!

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

(Cleopatra) I have a lot of respect for Third World’s history
and legacy…BUT there’s a guy in Chicago called Jamaican One Man Band who has a
big casio and plays Reggae cover songs at restaurants, and he’s more inspired
than this collection of Beatles, John Fogerty and Marvin Gaye covers. And the
originals don’t help matters.